THE standard of education in Welsh schools could go into serious decline over the next few years according to some of the country's leading academics in the field.

Controversial plans by the University of Wales, Swansea to abandon teacher training has placed education professors and lecturers on a collision course with National Assembly and campus officials.

The row threatens to affect the way all children in Wales are taught over the coming decades.

The proposal to switch teacher training to nearby Swansea Institute of Higher Education has been condemned by every member of staff at the campus's education department.

Led by Professor Maurice Whitehead, who heads the department, all staff there have signed a letter to The Western Mail condemning the move as "a recipe for decline".

The Association of University Teachers is planning f protests and aims to have the university "grey listed".

This means it would be placed on a list of academic institutions circulated to academics worldwide "advising caution" in any contact with those listed.

At the heart of the row is a perception by the lecturers and senior academics that the research element of teacher training could be lost in what they see as a vocation led new teacher training school to be based at the institute.

They believe the Swansea move could be the first of a number of similar moves across the country.

University officials who have ordered the switch say they are simply responding to the National Assembly's new vision for higher education in Wales, entitled Reaching Higher, Reaching Wider.

Institute Principal Professor David Warner says the new Swansea School of Education promises to become the best in Britain.

But the concerned university education department staff say, "We believe this view of teaching and teacher education to be deeply flawed."

However, Geraint Davies, secretary of teachers' union NASUWT Cymru, supported the work done at Swansea Institute.

"It's only natural that certain individuals will have concerns about maintaining professional and teaching standards."

But Andrew Morgan, president of the Swansea Association of University Teachers said, "It is a case of short-term thinking replacing any attempt at any kind of genuine collaboration between the university and institute.